The Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology created the following guide to give Hoosiers a brief overview of Indiana’s most common architectural styles, barn types, and bridge forms. While this section does not cover every style or type of historic building found in Indiana, it highlights the most popular and can serve as a basic field guide to experience our historic architecture first-hand.

Many properties simply do not fit into a style or type category. Many historic buildings were constructed for functional or industrial purposes without regard to any specific stylistic references. Such buildings may reflect a certain vernacular tradition, but not an architectural style. In fact, many historians agree that most of Indiana's older buildings fall into vernacular type categories rather than style categories. Some viewers will come to recognize differences in construction, alterations, and styles and perhaps be able to estimate a date of construction for some buildings. The Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology encourages Hoosiers to take a closer look at the historic structures in which we work, live, and play. Our older buildings and bridges are living records of our past, works of art of which we should be proud.

Bridges are a unique offshoot of architecture and possess their own associated terms, components and styles. Accordingly, DHPA has created this special section to help identify these and to educate those with an interest in the basics of bridge architecture.